The invention generally relates to powered door operators and controls, and more particularly to a door hold open device which maintains a door swingably mounted on a door jamb in an open position.
In hospitals and other health care facilities (e.g., nursing homes), it is sometimes desirable to open a door and leave it open at a predetermined angle of rotation. One common way of accomplishing this is by securing a door stop between the bottom of the door and the floor whereby the door stop prevents the door from closing. A problem associated with this method of keeping the door open is that it is sometimes difficult to reach down and secure the door stop underneath the door. Another disadvantage is that it is impossible to automatically close the door in emergency situations (e.g., a fire) because the door stop requires manual removal.
Another common way of keeping the door open is by incorporating a hold open mechanism into the door closer assembly which is provided for closing the door after it has been opened. Such mechanisms are often difficult to incorporate into the door closer assembly. There are also cost considerations which make the assembly of the door closer and hold open mechanism impractical. Moreover, there is a need for a hold open device which can be assembled with existing door closer assemblies.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present door hold open devices. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.